All natural dollar bill.

Forbes.com put out an article titled "Ten Things We're Still Buying", written by Lauren Sherman on January 20^th, 2009. Since consumer spending as exponentially dropped as a result of unemployment rates and the "recession" our economy is in, people have apparently mostly given up buying brand names in exchange for their cheaper counterparts. Martin Lindstrom, retail marketing expert and author of a book, claims that there are still items that people have no qualms about purchasing.

The very first item on their list is "Personal Care". This includes shampoo, make-up, shaving cream, etc. One study shows that these products have grown around 15 percent between 2007 and 2008. This shows that even though people are strapped for cash, they are not willing to let their personal appearances show it, so they continue to invest funds in looking good. While they could be investing money in places that may help them if they happen to lose their job or take a serious pay cut, they instead are focusing on keeping up their appearances as if nothing is wrong with our economy.

Consumers of personal care products have also begun to purchase many more "all natural" advertised products. One president of such a company claims that people are forced to put off doctor visits, and the increasing unemployment rate also means an increasing amount of people lacking health insurance. She uses this evidence to propose that people are turning to more "natural" remedies. Her company, for example, sells a seven dollar tin of gummies that are advertised as natural stress relievers, made from white flower extract.

I happen to know quite a few people who do not have health insurance, and a great deal more who are blessed to have it. Neither party is more partial than the other to buying all natural items. In fact, these items tend to be quite expensive themselves, and the only sort of person who has enough money to spend seven dollars on a tin of natural "stress-relief" is probably one who can comfortably afford the rest of their groceries and health-care items.

I believe that the popularity of such items is actually apart of the green and natural revolution that is sweeping the nation in many ways. People are more inclined to purchasing things that claim they are better for them then items chock full of chemicals and preservatives. This is not because they fully understand what the term "all-natural" means, and can't afford to go to the doctor, but because it is the new trendy thing to do. Companies are now shifting their marketing and advertising to appeal to this trend in consumer culture, and it's working on us quite well.

Ten Things We're Still Buying - Forbes.com